Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney ripped the NCAA this week.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has never really liked to participate in the transfer portal, and now, we are seeing why.
Swinney landed one of the top linebackers available in Luke Ferrelli, only to watch Ferrelli re-enter the portal and head to Ole Miss after he had already signed with Clemson.
During a press conference on Friday, Swinney ripped into the Rebels for tampering, and he ultimately pointed the finger at the NCAA for its rules ... or lack thereof.
But Swinney's most prominent issue with college football was with one thing: timing.
"It is remarkably sad to see where we are, right now, in some of these areas in college football,” Swinney said. “To me, there are three big primary problems, and there is one primary cause. Three of the worst issues in our game right now are happening because of the same reason. It’s because our calendar is just stupid. I do not know how else to say it. It is just stupid."
More specifically, Swinney said that the reason players are opting out of bowl games or playoff runs with their respective teams is because of the calendar. He also cited the calendar as a huge reason why coaches are getting fired midseason ... or jumping ship midseason, like Lane Kiffin.
Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney. Credit: Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK.“All three are major issues and all three are functions from one problem, so let’s fix the problem,” Swinney added.
There is no question the NCAA must take action, because the transfer portal has turned into an even more hectic version of the Wild West.
Clemson is far from the only team that has gotten the short end of the stick this winter. Just look at Duke, which saw quarterback Darian Mensah bolt for the portal on the final of the window, even after signing a two-year NIL contract with the Blue Devils the year prior.
Swinney also does not feel that allowing college players to back out of contracts and change their minds on a whim is good for their long-term future.
“I think we have a responsibility to make sure we educate, equip and that we graduated the young men that have been entrusted into all of us in college football,” he said. “We should do what is right for the long-term version for these players and not what is best in the short term.”
The Tigers went just 7-6 this past season, representing their worst finish since going 6-7 in Swinney's second year with the program back in 2010.
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